COLTTMBUS 



Jewish Literature. 



BY 

Prof. K J, H. GOTTHEIL, 

ColumMa College, New York. 



From the Publications of the American Jewish Historical 
Society, No. 2, 1894. 






PRESS OF 

THE FRIEDENWALD COMPANY, 

BALTIMORE. 



COLUMBUS IN JEWISH LITERATUKE. 

By Professor R. J. H. Gottheil, Columbia College, New York. 

Joseph ben Joshua Hakkohen was of Spanish parentage.* 
His family had been compelled to leave their home during 
the forced exodus of 1492. His father settled in Avignon, 
at which place Joseph was born ; but, later, removed to 
Genoa. When the Jews were expelled from that city, Joseph 
went to Voltaggio, where he did most of his literary work. 
He died in the year 1575. 

Joseph was a careful historian. He gathered his facts 
from all possible sources, made notes, kept registers — all of 
which served him as material when writing his Emek Hab- 
bdkhdh and Dibhre Hayydmim.^; This last work is a Book 
of Chronicles — not only of his own people, but also of all 
the nations with whom they had come in contact. It con- 
tains an account of Columbus, which has recently been 
the subject of some discussion. | He curiously c(mfounds 
Columbus with Americo. The whole description is vague 
and poor, and Harrisse is right§ in wondering at the meagre- 
ness of Joseph's information. For the Genoa Psalter of 1516 
was published before he wrote, and that contains a long and 
trustworthy account. 

*0n Joseph Kohen, see Steinschneider, Bodleian Catal gue, col. 
1498 ; Jewish Literature, p. 251 ; Ilebraische Uebersetzungen, vol. II., 
pp. 775, 948; Neubauer, Mediaeval Jeuoish Chronicles, p. xix; Revue 
des Etudes Juives, vol. xiv, pp. ^8 sq. 

f An English translation of this book was published in 183G by 
C. H. F. Bialloblotzky, " The Chroriicles of Rabbi Joseph . . . the 
Sphardi. 2 vols. London. Oriental Translation Fund 

I See A. Kohut, References to Columbus and America's Discovery in 
Contemporaneous Hebrew Literature. The Menor.ih, l)e<-. l.s!)2, pp. 
403 sq. 

%Centralblatt fur Bibliothekswesen, 1888, p. 136. 



130 American Jewish. Historical Society. 

The explanation is to be found in the peculiar manner in 
which Joseph wrote his works. Books were scarce in those 
days. Joseph had difficulty in procuring those he needed. 
He says expressly in a passage which I shall cite further on, 
that he did not, at that time, have the good fortune to possess 
a book giving him detailed information about the discoveries 
made in America. Afterwards he was able to obtain such 
a work, and he immediately set about to do it into Hebrew in 
order that his people might have correct information on the 
subject. This work was La Historia general de las Indias 
of Francisco Lopez de Gomara.* This work in two parts 
[The Book of India and The Booh of Fernando Cortes, or The 
Book of Mexico) he joined to another work Ilassibh Gebhu- 
loth 'Ammlm,'\ itself a translation of the Omnium gentium 
mores leges et ritus of Joan Boemus. 

Now, the redaction of his Chronicles was finished in 1553. 
The translation of Boemus' work bears the date 1555. It 
was only after he had completed these two that he commenced 
translating his larger work on America, which he com- 
pleted in the year 1557. We can thus follow closely his 
gradual acquisition of knowledge on the subject of the dis- 
coveries in the New World. Had he written his Chronicles 
after his translation of de Gomara, our judgment upon them 
would not have been so severe. 

It is, perhaps, wrong to call these works translations. I 
have before me the text of de Gomara as published in the 
22d volume of the Bibliotheca de Autores Espanoles, Madrid, 
1884. The Hebrew is an abridgment and only preserves the 
general run of the original. But Joseph is very careful in 
his proper names. At the end of each treatise he even has a 
list of Spanish words used, with their Hebrew equivalents. 

*Cf. Bibliographical Notice of Rare and Curious Books relating to 
America . . . in the Library of Carter Brown. Providence. Vol. I., p. 
168 ; Vol. II., p. 14. Winsor, Narrative and Critical History of Amer- 
ica, Vol. II. 

f i. e. that which setteth the bounds of the people. Deut. 32, 6. 



Columbus in Jewish Literature — Gottheil. 131 

Poetical quotations he gives in Spanish, but in Hebrew char- 
acters; and he add.' a rhymned Hebrew translation of his own. 

The MS. of these two works — for they seem to have been 
intended to go together — in my library was purchased at the 
sale of the library of the late R. N. E-abinowitz in Munich.* 
It was sold to me as being unique. It was some time after- 
wards that I discovered that I had been the victim of a 
deception, for another MS. of the same work was sold to the 
Alliance israelite in Paris at about the same time. To be 
more accurate, the MS. that I had bought was sold to Paris 
and an inferior one sent to me.f The discovery came when 
I read the excellent article of the late Isidore Loeb {Revue des 
Etudes Juives, Vol. XVL, pp. 28 sq.X) on the very MS. 
which I supposed I had bought. Mr. Rabinowitz had died 
in the meantime, so that redress was impossible. 

There are thus two MSS. of this work known. There 
were originally more copies. Joseph, it seems, thought well 
of his own works. He made several copies of the transla- 
tion, carefully adding the date at which he finished each 
copy. That now in the library of the AlUanoe was the 
ninth, and was finished in the year 1568. My own copy is 
the fifth, and bears the date 12th Tishri, 1564. Our author 
had also a penchant for poetry. He affixed to this, his fifth 
copy, quite a number of verses ; also formulae for the heading 
of letters addressed to various personages of rank. There is 
the mark of the vise of a censor, with the date 1607. 

* It is only necessary to look at the Catalogue B'sJilmath S^fdr'im 
Y'shenlm, hamsJilkh, etc., sent out by Mr. Kabinowitz himself. I 
refer to the one bearing the date 5th Tammuz, 5647. The MS. is 
numbered 129 (p. 20), and the note is added : w'lo^ 7iodha' 'odh 
bd'oldm. But the buyer of MSS. must expect many a surprise ! 
Steinschneider, Ilebr. Uebersetz., p. 948, speaks of another MS. 
(Servi, dated 15 Omer, 1567). I can find nothing more about it. 

t Towards the end, the ink has eaten into the thin paper and 
partly destroyed it. 

:j:See also Leonello Modona, Oli ebrei e la scoperte delV America, 
Casale, 1893, p. 5. I am indebted to one of my students, Mr. George 
Kohut, for this notice. 



132 American Jewish Historical Society. 

At the end of his abridgment of Boemus, Joseph has added 
a chapter of his own, entitled "On the other islands of the 
Mediterranean Sea," whose names the author did not men- 
tion. The concluding paragraph of this section reads: 
" These, then, are the nations, whose names are known to 
us: these are their customs and rites up to this day. But, 
in our own times Columbus the Genoan discovered large 
Islands and Kingdoms in the direction of the setting sun, 
the names of which were unknown up to the present day. 
Many Spaniards followed him, and they — in their turn — 
found cities which Columbus had not seen, as well as the 
whole country of Peru, where there is gold. They fought 
with these nations and made them tributary. These lands 
have belonged to the Kings of Spain, even unto this day. 
From there gold is brought, year by year. The inhabitants 
of those cities were idolaters, until the coming there of the 
Spaniards, who brought them from gloom into utter dark- 
ness. They also found there cities belonging to men who 
were like unto beasts — eaters of human flesh, even unto this 
day. The servants of the King of Portugal found also 
the island which to-day they call San Tome (^Oft^ JND). 
There they found only the large fishes which come up from 
the sea, which they call Lagartos (b'IDnxJX?), and serpents 
and insects and conies.* Thither the king sends every 
one condemned to death. He also sent some Jews there. 

* Through the courtesy of Professor H. B. Adams, I am able to 
make use of the following references collected by Mr. J. H. Hollan- 
der : " In the year 1493, when King John the Second conferred the 
seignory of St. Thomas's isle upon Don Alvaro de Caminha, he 
oVjliged the latter to people it, and, for this purpose, ordered that 
all the Jews should have their sons and daughters of tender age 
taken away from them, and that after the baptism of the latter, 
these should be handed over (as was done) to Don Alvaro, for the 
purpose of peopling the said isle of St, Thomas. Osorino, De ReMis 
gestis Emanuelis regis Portugalliae, lib. prim.; Monteiro, Eistoria da 
Santa Inquis., parte 1", liv. seg., cap. 2. Cf. de Castro, History of the 
Jews in Spain, London, 1851, p. 202 ; Lindo, History of the Jews in 
Spain and Portugal, p. 323 ; Jost, Oeschichte der Juden, viii, p. 93." 



Columbus in Jewish Literature — Gottheil. 133 

They found no saviour in the day of the anger of God. 
They were friendly v/ith the servants of the King of Portugal, 
and built houses in which to dwell, and tilled their land. 
The ground gave forth its produce, and they dwelt there in 
safety. They also planted sugar-canes (L*'mn ••jp), which 
increased greatly. From there they bring the juice of the 
cane, which they call sugar (ixpiDj^) to Portugal. But up 
till now I have not had the good fortune to see a book 
relating these journeys, or to learn a sufficient number of 
facts so as to write a book upon the subject. 

And so I give thanks to God who has assisted me in 
writing this book thus far. I pray that in His mercy He 
may find me worthy to write other books to the glory of His 
great name, and to complete the account of the lands of 
Peru and Mexico, the other islands of the sea, Kush and 
Libya (?). To the end that the children of Israel know 
that the Lord is a God of knowledge, who maketh a way in 
the sea, and a path in the mighty waters : by Him actions 
are weighed. Finished on the first day of the week, the 
fourth of Tammuz here in Voltabbio, the city in which I, 
Joseph Hakkohen, dwell: in the vicinity of Genoa, in the 
year 5315." 

The superscription to the abridgment of de Gomara reads: 
"Saith Joseph, son of Meir, son of Judah, son of Joshua, son 
of Judah, son of David, son of Moses, of the priests who 
went from Goete ("'P''^?•1J) in the land of Spain. I have 
sent to Spain to bring this book New India. It was for- 
warded to me. It also is divided into three parts, not count- 
ing the Book on Mexico ("lp''C':i''0). I set my heart upon 
translating them." 

Chapter 5 of Part I. of this book on India reads as follows : 
" We commence by relating how the Islands in India were 
first found. Columbus the Genoan (*t?'^5frJn n;i'?"[p) was 
a man mighty in strength, accustomed all his life to sail 
on the sea in ships. This Christopher Columbus learned 
how to make sea-charts (nin'pn nh^d). He went to Por- 



L34 A7nei'iGan Jewish Historical Society. 

tugal, in order to become acquainted with the cities in 
Southern Africa which are near the sea, and the way by 
which the Portuguese (C'^D"'2lt2-iis) reach Calicut (t^lp'-'pxi"^). 
It happened, at that time, that a ship set out from Spain for 
the seas of Canaria (nxp.j<:X|^). But the wind blew upon the 
ship and drove it to a land which neither they nor their 
fathers had known. Most of the men died on the way. 
After some time, the ship returned. On it were five men 
and the captain. He went to the house of Columbus, took 
sick and died. His name has not become known, even 
unto this day. Only the remembrance of the road they 
took has been preserved through Columbus. About this 
time his heart prompted him to go there. He sent Bar- 
tholomew (TN^ni^TOnxn) his brother to Henry C^P'-^V^} VII., 
King of England (n'T'Dx'pJrx), to ask for help and means to 
go there. He told him (king) of all the precious wealth to 
be found there. But the King would not hearken to his 
voice. He also asked the King of Portugal ("pj^JiD-ns) ; but 
he appeared as one joking. Then he went to Ferdinand 
(n^i^jnTD), King of Spain, and his accursed wife Isabella 
(np'-nx^i'^x), while they were fighting against Granada (nnsjxn:) 
in the year 1486. But at that time, they would not incline 
their ear. 

When, however, he spoke to them day after day, they came 
to believe in the promises he made to bring all manner of 
precious wealth, silver and gold and spices. They received 
him well : he found, at this time, favor in the eyes of all who 
saw him. They gave him (Columbus) a tenth of the taxes 
gathered from those lands which did not belong to the King 
of Portugal : for the two kings were at peace one with the 
other. They made an agreement with him, written and 
sealed in Granada on the 30th of April ("pnnx) in the year 
1492 — i. e. the year of the expulsion. 

In that frightful year all the hosts of the Lord went forth 
from the land of Spain at the command of these rulers : in 
the fifth month. From there they spread to the four corners 



* Columbus in Jewish Literature — Gottheil. 135 

of the earth. They went in ships to Africa (npnss), Asia 
(ns*''::\s), Greece (jv), and Turkey (no-iJin). There they have 
dwelt up to this day. From Cartagena (nvJspi.X]^) there 
went out sixteen large ships filled with human beings, on 
the sixth day, on the tenth day of the month. In the rest 
of the cities of the king, and the cities near the sea, what 
did they do? There came over them many and evil mis- 
fortunes and various troubles, so that they grew weary on 
the way. Look O Lord ! Turn and save us for the sake 
of Thy name!" 

Chapter 6 of Book I. tells how Columbus first came upon 
the islands of India. 

"These two princes gave him three ships. He went to 
sea with Bartholomew his brother. At that time there were 
with them one hundred and fifty men. They journeyed 
from Palos de Moguer (■i\MO n L-'i'px?) on the third day of 
the month of August (mc'iJS), passing by Gomera ('iT?5fJ) 
which belongs to the Canary Islands. They continued their 
journey and found a certain herb upon the sea in large quan- 
tities. At that time they were in great fear. They went on 
their way; but had not gone far when one of the men saw 
[a light], from afar off, and told this to his fellows. Their 
spirits revived while he spoke to them. On the morrow, 
i. e. on the eleventh day of the month of October, the look- 
out cried with a loud voice 'Land! Land!' All ran and 
looked, and gave thanks to God, lifted up their voices and 
wept. These men now kissed the hand of Columbus, 
bowed down to him and said 'Behold ! we are thy servants! ' 
Then they neared the dry land, and came to the Island 
Guanahani (''JiSriJ^^S'i:) which belongs to the Lucayos (t^'t''^*|^17) 
Islands, between Florida (nnn.l'?^) and the Island of Cuba 
(nn-lp). This is the first island which was taken in the name 
of the Kings of Spain. From there they went to Barucoa 
(nstp-nx?) which is in the Island of Cuba, and they took 
some of the men of that place. Then they returned to the 
Island of Haiti ('P.'^ii), threw the anchors into the sea, and 



136 American Jewish Historical Society. 

came to anchor there. Columbus called the name of that 
place Puerto Real (^^'1. 1t3T^!i2). One of his ships was 
destroyed there. 

The men then went on shore. Columbus, also, went 
with them at that time. The Indians saw the Spaniards and 
their arms. Taking them to be cannibals (c-nnxp), eaters 
of human flesh, they fled to the mountains. The Spaniards 
pursued after them and came upon a naked woman, to whom 
they gave bread and wine, a linen garment and clothes 
wherewith to clothe her nakedness. Then they let her go . 
She ran and told the Indians what they had done to her, 
whereupon many of them came to the sea at that time. But 
they were unable to understand each other's speech; so that 
they were compelled to speak with them as one speaks to a 
dumb man. The Indians brought bread and fruit and birds 
and gold and many other things, and exchanged these for 
bells and glass necklaces and needles, and other things which 
were in the coffers of the Spaniards. At which Columbus 
was exceeding glad. 

There came also thither Guacanagari (n^<jX5X|^x■1J), the 
head of the city, whom they call Cacique (^P.''V^5|"^). They 
greeted each other, gave presents, and made a covenant. 
The Indians brought some of their ships to the place 
and with heart and soul, as much as was in their power, 
helped the Spaniards to save some of the fittings of the ship 
which had been wrecked outside. Columbus rejoiced when 
he saw that the natives had much gold, and that they were 
disposed to be friendly. He made up his mind to return 
and relate to the princes what he had found there. He 
built a stronghold with the consent of the Cacique : whose 
men assisted him until it was built. He placed in it thirty- 
eight men in order that they might learn the language of 
the people and the hidden places of this country, until the 
time when he should return to them. 

Columbus took with him ten Indians, forty papagayos 
(e'T'KJXSNE)) and gallipavos (C12XD''."''?X3) in large numbers, and 



Columbus in Jewish Literature — Gottheil. 137 

conies and Ajies (t:'\s^L;'s*) and Batatas (:rKp^tp^?5) and maize 
(T\XD), and other strange things, and the gold which he had 
gotten in exchange. He embarked, and the chief of the 
city wept when they left that place. Columbus returned 
to Palos de Moguer at the end of fifty days, in the year 
1493." 

I refrain from translating further. The history of Colum- 
bus and of the later discoveries in the South American con- 
tinent is related i7i extenso. The above may serve as a 
specimen. 



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